This William wrote the Lives of St. Guthlake, St. Neots, St. Edmond the King, and divers others, all in Verse, which no doubt were very acceptable and praise-worthy in those times; but the greatest wonder of him, and which may seem a wonder indeed, was, that being a Poet, he paid the vast Debts of others, even forty thousand Marks for the engagement of his Covent, and all within the compass of eighteen Months, wherein he was Abbot of Crowland.  This was a vast Sum in that Age, and would render it altogether incredible for a Poet to do, but that we find he had therein the assistance of King Henry the Second; who, to expiate the Blood of Becket, was contented to be melted into Coyn, and was prodigiously bountiful to many Churches as well as to this.  He died about the year 1180.

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ALEXANDER NEQUAM.

Alexander Nequam, the learnedest Englishman of his Age, was born at St. Albans in Hartfordshire:  His Name in English signifies Bad, which caused many, who thought themselves wondrous witty in making Jests, (which indeed made themselves) to pass several Jokes on his Sirname, whereof take this one instance:  Nequam had a mind to become a Monk in St. Albans, the Town of his Nativity, and thus Laconically wrote for leave to the Abbot thereof;

  Si vis, veniam, sin autem, tu autem.

To whom the Abbot returned,

  Si bonus sis, venias, si nequam, nequaquam.

Whereupon for the future, to avoid the occasion of such Jokes, he altered his Name from Nequam, to Neckam.

His admirable knowledge in good Arts, made him famous throughout England, France, Italy, yea and the whole World, and that with incredible admiration, that he was called Miraculum ingenij, the Wonder and Miracle of Wit and Sapience.  He was an exact Philosopher, and excellent Divine, an accurate Rhetorician, and an admirable Poet, as did appear by many his Writings which he left to posterity, some of which are mentioned by Bale.

That he was born at St. Albans, appears by a certain passage in one of his Latine Poems, cited by Mr. Cambden, and thus Englished by his Translatour, Doctor Holland.

This is the place that knowledge took of my Nativity, My happy Years, my Days also of Mirth and Jollity.  This Place my Childhood trained up in all Arts liberal, And laid the ground-work of my Name, and skill Poetical.  This Place great and renowned Clerks into the World hath sent; For Martyr bless’d, for Nation, for Sight, all excellent.  A troop here of Religious Men serve Christ both night and day, In Holy Warfare, taking pains duly to watch and pray.

He is thought by some, saith Bale, to have been a Canon Regular, and to have been preferred to the Abbotship of Glocester, as the Continuater of Robert of Glocester will have it.